July 31, 2007

Day 147 :: Second Wind

Okay, not quite, but that's how we felt upon arriving in İstanbul to a new world full of paved streets, clean air and modern structures. After five months in developing nations (and in light of our last post), you can imagıne our excitement. I think our second wind came precisely at the moment we entered our first public bathroom. It was void of flies, stocked with toilet paper, had a sink (with soap!) and the best part of all - the toilet was the kind that you can actually sit down on. I must have spent an hour in the there.

A few notes on Istanbul:

*We traveled through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq to get to here. And by through I mean in reclining seats at 36,000 feet. And on the exit row I might add.

*We have walked seven miles a day over the past three days, which is around eighteen miles more than we walked in all of Indıa.

*Today we traveled by ferry across the Bosphorus Straight to visit the beautiful Princess Islands - the famous straight seperates Europe from Asıa. We were back in Europe by the evening.

*Istanbul is rather incredible. The Blue Mosque and Hagai Sofia were surprisingly more impressive than the Taj Mahal; the waterways, cobblestone streets and hills make Istanbul feel like a cross between Stockholm, San Francisco and Sydney. The people are absolutely wonderful - always helpful, kind and seemingly without alterior motives.

They say Turkey is the Gateway to the East, but for us it is a much welcomed Gateway to the West.

I second both of the things that matt said. I was nearly drugged with some apple tea in a carpet shop and somehow the baklava is just a million times better over there. I would spend ungodly amounts of Turkish lira on baklava.

Hi guys! It's been a very long time since I posted a comment, sorry :( The pics are amazing! I hope someday I can travel to at least half the places you've been. You guys are amazing. Take care and keep up with the great photos!